Gonna Dress You Up In My Love

                                                 REWIEV OF THE CLASSICS:

I admire the tailoring of a nice men`s shirt. It is simply the ultimate garment for the male torso. This saturday I examined a few of my worn in favorites from the closet. I have a fascination for the horizontal yoke in the back of the shirt, added to the construction to allow you to move more freely but also to give the impression that your shoulders are broader.

Wood Wood: This sturdy, striped twill shirt has a loop sewn into the yoke to hang it from. Men like it practical, huh?

Our Legacy: Who can resist the hand feel of worn in cotton? This cotton favorite drapes wonderfully in the back, due to the box pleat added from the yoke. The shirt has an almost sculptural feel reminiscent of classic Greek sculpture.

EVISU: There is nothing like Japanese raw denim. This shirt is the incarnation of comfort and the fabric and color ages beautifully.  The yoke seam has a curved shape and is added pleats at the edges for a squared shape. I like how the vertical loop from reversed denim pops out in the neck.

LEVIS STRAUSS: I adore the sound of washed poplin and I prefer my shirts soft and comfortable.  Mr. Strauss himself was inspired by workwear for the gold miners and Californian Cowboys. This striped version has adapted the expression from a wrangler`s shirt with the triangular yoke in the back. Complete with crisp white collar and mother of pearl button.

LAYERING PARALLEL LINES

                                                      STRIPE FRENZY

Marc Jacobs celebrated label had an unambiguous focus on stripes for Spring/Summer 2013 - and predicted that the stores and magazines would be filled with parallel lines for spring. All hail the power of that man!
It strikes my mind how James Dean, Pablo Picasso and Rudolf Nureyev appeared in classic breton stripes and made them iconic. Not to metnion Coco Chanel, the true pioneer of nautical versions.

Playing dress up after looking into my drawers and cabinets for striped favorites! Layering my mattress striped blazer over a woolen nautical cardigan, a favorite canvas shirt over washed out "blue collars" with breton stripes underneath. Topping it of with satin ties and bows and the inevitable pocket square. All in worn in blue hues.